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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — While Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan stressed that New Orleans doesn’t fear going on the road in the playoffs Joey Bosa Jersey , he readily acknowledged the advantages of staying in the Superdome.New Orleans (12-2) can lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a victory over visiting Pittsburgh (8-5-1) on Sunday.“That would be huge,” said Jordan, referencing what he calls “dome-field advantage.”Article continues below ...The Saints did fine on the road this season, going 7-1. They won’t finish any better in the Superdome, where they are 5-1 with two regular-season home games left. But New Orleans’ offense generally has been better at home, where Drew Brees‘ pre-snap instructions — and center Max Unger’s line calls — are easier for teammates to hear. The Saints have averaged about 38 points at home, but their road scoring average dipped about nine points below that after three straight road games in which they were held to 28 or less in each game and to 12 or fewer points twice.“It’s been almost a month since we’ve been at the dome, so it’ll be nice to be back in there,” Brees said. “Obviously we’ve got a lot going for us right now — a lot at stake.”In reality, the Saints don’t have that much riding on Sunday’s game — certainly not as much as the Steelers, who could still win the AFC North but haven’t clinched a playoff berth yet. New Orleans already has won a second straight NFC South crown and will finish as a top seed even if it splits its next two games. But from the standpoint of offensive production, playoff history and promoting optimal health, the Saints know they’d be best served by beating Pittsburgh.In franchise history, the Saints are 1-7 in playoff games away from the Superdome. Since coach Sean Payton and Brees arrived in 2006, the Saints have not lost any of their five home playoff games. The one season they won the Super Bowl, they were the NFC’s No. 1 seed.In fact, no Super Bowl participant has won a single road playoff game since the 2012 Baltimore Ravens won at Denver and New England en route to their title-winning tilt with San Francisco in New Orleans.Meanwhile, key Saints players could get as much as two weeks rest — the regular-season finale and the playoff bye — if New Orleans wins this week.“Rest is much needed to get our bodies right,” Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore said. “Take a week, or two (off) if we clinch it this week. Hopefully rest the starters for the last game.”The Steelers can’t worry about rest — not even after improving their postseason outlook with a victory over New England last week.“We just want to get into the playoffs,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “It doesn’t matter how you get in, we just want to get in. Obviously, the first and second seed you would like, but I don’t think we can get that now. So, let’s just find a way to get in.”Some other prominent story lines surround the Steelers’ visit to the Superdome:BOWING UPDespite a significant slowdown offensively during their past three games, the Saints went 2-1 during that stretch because of strong defensive play.New Orleans, which struggled defensively early this season, has not allowed any of its past six opponents to score more than 17 points and has held two teams to less than 10.“The offense was really getting us through the games at the beginning of the season and the roles flipped,” Lattimore said. “Nobody pointed fingers. We just got the job done. That’s the biggest thing Tony Pollard Jersey , just playing as a team.”JAYSAM’S JOURNEYSteelers rookie running back Jaylen Samuels will start his third straight game in place of injured Pro Bowler James Conner, who is hobbled by a sprained left ankle.Samuels, a fifth-round pick, lit up New England for 172 total yards. Not bad for a player who was asked to work out as a tight end at the NFL combine. The going could get considerably tougher against New Orleans, which leads the league in rush defense (79.1 yards per game).RESPECTBrees is the third high-profile quarterback the Steelers have faced in four weeks, joining New England’s Tom Brady and Philip Rivers of the Los Angeles Chargers. Roethlisberger, who only knows Brees casually from run-ins at the Pro Bowl, isn’t sure Brees has gotten enough credit for his record-setting career.“He’s incredibly athletic … and a tireless worker,” Roethlisberger said. “Not really known for a huge arm, but can pretty much make any throw. I have a lot of respect for that guy.”JORDAN’S JUDGMENTJordan, the Saints’ sacks leader, sounded incredulous when a media member referred to Roethlisberger as a “future Hall-of-Fame quarterback” during an interview in New Orleans’ locker room.Grimacing and turning his head sharply, Jordan said: “It that true? Really? In this era? You’d put him at like a top three of this era? Top five of this era?”Jordan listed Brees, New England’s Tom Brady, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, the Los Angeles Chargers’ Philip Rivers, the retired Peyton Manning and the Giants’ Eli Manning as QB’s he’d place above Roethlisberger.This season, Roethlisberger’s 4,462 yards rank second behind only Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes in the NFL.Jordan, a first-time All Pro last season, has 12 sacks to go with 17 tackles for losses, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s the dead of winter, meaning the weather in New England can be brutal. And that the Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl.It took them overtime and more of Tom Brady’s brilliance to get there — for the third straight year. While the folks back home dealt with a frigid storm, Brady blew through Kansas City’s exhausted defense on a 75-yard drive to Rex Burkhead’s 2-yard touchdown run in a 37-31 victory Sunday for the AFC championship.The drive, during which New England (13-5) had three third-down conversions, was reminiscent of when the Patriots beat Atlanta in the only Super Bowl to go to OT two years ago.“Overtime, on the road against a great team,” Brady said. “They had no quit. Neither did we. We played our best football at the end. I don’t know Noah Fant Jersey , man, I’m tired. That was a hell of a game.”Awaiting them in Atlanta are the Los Angeles Rams, who won 26-23 in overtime in New Orleans for the NFC championship. The Rams (15-3) last made the Super Bowl in 2002 while based in St. Louis, losing to the Patriots.New England benefited from two critical replay reviews and made its ninth Super Bowl with Brady at quarterback and Bill Belichick as coach.“This is crazy,” said Brady, who was 30 of 46 for 348 yards. “What a game.”It’s the first time both conference title games went to OT. The last time both visitors won conference championship matches was 2012.Several times, the Patriots appeared to have it won, only to see Kansas City (13-5) come back in spectacular fashion.Brady, at 41 already the oldest quarterback to have played in a Super Bowl, drove New England 65 yards in 1:24 to Burkhead’s go-ahead 4-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation. That was enough, though, for his far younger counterpart, the 23-year-old All-Pro Patrick Mahomes, to take the Chiefs 48 yards to Harrison Butker’s 39-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to force overtime.It was a sizzling offensive showing in the fourth quarter after defense had been in charge most of the way. Indeed, the Chiefs were blanked in the opening half for the first time all season.And they never saw the ball in overtime, which along with the two replay decisions might call into play NFL rules and officiating.“I thought if we got the chance,” Mahomes said, “we’d score.”Mahomes finished 16 of 31 for 295 yards and three touchdowns.New England became the third franchise to reach three Super Bowls in a row. And Belichick now has 30 postseason victories, more than Bill Walsh and Don Shula combined. That Hall of Fame coaching duo also won five Super Bowls; Belichick shoots for No. 6 in two weeks.An apparent muff by the usually reliable Julian Edelman on a fourth-quarter punt return was overturned by a lengthy video review, prompting raucous booing and some demonstrative arguing from the usually laid-back Andy Reid. Edelman definitely touched his next try when Brady’s pass deflected off his hands directly to safety Daniel Sorensen. His 22-yard return set up Kansas City at the Patriots 23, and Damien Williams, who scored three times, had no defender near him down the left sideline for the score that made it 21-17, KC’s first lead.Back came Brady, engineering a 75-yard march on which Chris Hogan’s diving one-handed catch on third down appeared to touch the ground. Reid challenged — and lost.Minutes later, rookie Sony Michel scored from the 10, his second TD of the night.With 3½ minutes remaining, there was plenty of time for more points. Williams’ 2-yard run gave the Chiefs a 28-24 edge that New England took up most of the remaining time overcoming before Butker’s field goal sent it to overtime.The Chiefs hadn’t been blanked in any half this season, but they barely were a presence in the first 30 minutes Dalton Risner Jersey , when they had the ball for 8:53. Mahomes was sacked three times for 43 yards; Kansas City’s record-setting attack ran only 16 plays and gained a mere 32 yards.The zero disappeared quickly in the third quarter. Finally given solid protection, Mahomes unleashed a 54-yard completion to Sammy Watkins over All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore. He then hit another All-Pro, tight end Travis Kelce, on a slant to make it 14-7 — and awaken the slumbering crowd.But one of several bad decisions further damaged Kansas City when Tyreek Hill, the All-Pro flex player, retreated deep in Chiefs territory returning a punt. Eventually, KC had to punt and the Patriots had excellent field position, setting up a 47-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.Not one to be shy about innovation, Mahomes completely sidearmed a throw to Watkins for 10 yards on a third down, then a dump-off to Williams covered 33. Kelce drew a pass interference call on J.C. Jackson in the end zone, and Mahomes threw a strike to Williams for the score.Although the Chiefs were on their heels much of the night, they were down only 17-14.LOPSIDED FIRST HALFJust as they did last week in manhandling the Chargers early and cruising, the Patriots delivered a message — and a touchdown — on their first series. It was a classic, covering 80 yards in 15 plays and using up more than eight minutes. Michel, who had 113 yards rushing, scored from the 1.But Brady made a rare mistakes on the next dominant drive. His third-down pass from the 1 for Rob Gronkowski was short and Reggie Ragland picked it off.Brady had never thrown an interception from the 1.When the Chiefs finally got a trademark big play on Mahomes’ 42-yard completion to Hill, it went for naught. Mahomes overthrew a wide-open Williams near the end zone, then took a 14-yard sack to send KC out of field goal range.Big mistake.The Patriots kept dominating the line of scrimmage, Brady took them 90 yards and connected with Phillip Dorsett over sloppy coverage by Steven Nelson to make it 14-0 with 27 seconds left in the half.STATSIn Week 6, the Patriots beat the Chiefs 43-40 in a game featuring 946 yards total offense. This one had 814. … New England has played in eight straight AFC title games, but this is its first road playoff win since the 2006 season vs. San Diego. … Brady match former Patriots K Adam Vinatieri, now with the Colts, for most wins in NFL history (236). … Kansas City’s defense tied for first in the NFL with 52 sacks, but had none on Sunday. New England had four.COIN TOSSReid’s decision to defer after winning the opening coin toss proved unwise as New England had 22 plays in the opening period, and Kansas City had seven. Then, the Chiefs lost the more important toss before overtime. Less than five minutes later, they were headed to the offseason.UP NEXTThe New England Patriots head to Atlanta to play the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl.